Wildlife

US wildlife officials move to strip grey wolves of protected status

US wildlife officials want to strip grey wolves of their remaining endangered species protections and declare the species recovered following a decades-long restoration effort.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposal released Thursday would put wolves under state authority and allow hunting in more areas.

Critics argue the move is premature, with wolves still absent across most of their historic range.

Government officials say their goal was to protect against extinction, not restore wolves everywhere.

Trapping, poisoning and hunting exterminated wolves across most of the Lower 48 early last century. They bounced back under federal protection, and more than 6,000 now live in portions of nine states.